Curio Collection by Hilton

Truist said they are finding the sentiment at the ALIS Lodging Conference as mostly positive , with lots of “hope” that the most well-anticipated recession in the history of recessions will be a mild one. STR and Tourism Economics made a modest upgrade to the 2023 U.S. hotel forecast released at ALIS. Four Seasons said they started 2023 with new leadership, brand extensions and strategic portfolio growth.

STR reported China hotel RevPAR for the week ended December 17. Hotel RevPAR was down -1.1% year over year for the week. Japan National Tourism Organization said visitor arrivals rose to close to one million in November. This was the first full month after the country ended their Covid-19 curbs. The Tourism Authority of Thailand is predicting the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand will be more than 18 million last year.

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust cut their guidance for 4Q , citing a demand impact from Hurricane Nicole in November and weaker business/leisure demand at the end of that month. STR said US hotel RevPAR the week ended 12/17 was up 12% year over year while up 35% over the week in 2019 . U.S. hotel occupancy for Christmas and New Years mirrors 2019 trends , with warm destinations proving popular according to Amadeus .

Baird picked the hotel real-estate investment trust Xenia Hotels & Resorts as their Best Idea for 2023. The Wall Street Journal published a very positive article on Hilton , including an interview with CEO Chris Nassetta . Pyramid Global Hospitality closed the acquisition of the operating division of Provenance Hotels .

Overall, stocks gave back most of their pre-market gains. Lodging stocks wound up mixed on the day. Commonwealth Hotels acquired the 120-suite Residence Inn Houston-West University and the 100-room Courtyard by Marriott Houston-West University. Aimbridge Hospitality announced the expansion of its portfolio with the addition of three extended stay properties recently acquired by Three Wall Capital, LLC.

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation announced an increase in its quarterly dividend. MCR has acquired the Staybridge Suites Chattanooga Downtown , a five-story, extended-stay hotel in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The DJIA rose 35 points Friday while Nasdaq was down 21, the S&P 500 was down 5 points and the 10-year treasury yield was down .02 to 3.51%.

Truist gave their observations on the latest forward-looking booking and pricing trends for US hotels and checks with contacts. STR’s global “bubble chart” update through November 19, 2022 showed the strongest performance of the year thus far. The U.S. Travel Association’s latest biannual travel forecast shows a downgrade in international inbound travel for the remainder of this year and for 2023.

For a change, the markets went up when Fed Chief Powell spoke. They interpreted his commentary and body language as blinking, that the bulk of the interest rate hikes are over. STR said  US hotel RevPAR  the week ended November 26 was  down -0.1% year over year . Cambria Hotels  announced the  opening of its six-story, 121-room location in downtown Minneapolis  to complete the newly constructed dual-hotel building.

Bloomberg said Fosun is also considering strategic options for French luxury resort chain Club Med SAS and could seek a value of about $1.5 billion for the business. Shanghai Disney Resort remains closed, two weeks after Covid-19 cases caused operations to cease. Marriott International announced plans to expand its select service portfolio in Greater China with the expected addition of 30 hotels in the segment by the end of 2023.

The DJIA fell 211 points while Nasdaq was down 127, the S&P 500 fell 36 points and the 10 year treasury yield was up .05 to 3.87%. Lodging stocks were modestly lower. SLNA was the big mover, down -7%. B.Riley lowered its price target for Braemar Hotels & Resorts to $9 from $12; on Ashford Inc . to $18 from $23 and on Ashford Hospitality Trust to $9 from $12. Red Roof held its 2022 Brand Conference, telling their franchise owners they are positioned for long-term growth.